Church briefs
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Teen march
The Fight for Christ Youth 2008 Teen March will be held today.
Teens are invited to “come out and speak out.” Everyone will gather in front of City Hall at 2 p.m., then march to Rowan Outreach Center, 1325 N. Main St. There will be activities at the Outreach Center until 7 p.m., including hip hop and rap artists, steppers and praise dancers.
Food and drinks will also be available.
For more information, call Denise Edmonds, 704-431-4109.
Jerusalem Baptist
Jerusalem Baptist Church will observe Senior Citizens’ Day this Sunday at 11 a.m.
The Rev. Sydney Moore, associate minister at Jerusalem, will be the speaker. The Young Adult Choir will provide music and each senior member will be recognized with special gifts and certificates.
The church is located at 1570 N. Long St. Ext. The Rev. David L. Bracken is the senior pastor. He is also the first vice moderator of the Rowan Baptist Association.
Fairview Heights
Fairview Heights Baptist Church will hold its annual revival during the coming week.
On Sunday at 3 p.m., the guest speaker will be the Rev. Clary Phelps of Gethsemane Baptist Church, along with his choir and congregation.
Monday through Friday, at 7:30 nightly, the Rev. David McLendon of Mount Calvary AME Zion Church of Monroe will be guest speaker.
The Rev. Clarence Marlin is host pastor.
Friendship Baptist
Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 157 Neely Road, Cooleemee, will hold its annual homecoming service Sunday at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m..
Friendship’s pastor, the Rev. Ervin Baker, will bring the morning message.
Dr. Charles E. Gray of Mount Olive Baptist Church, located in Winston-Salem, will be the guest minister for the afternoon service, along with the congregation. There will be a repass after the service.
Also, summer revival services will start on Tuesday and continue through Thursday, beginning at 7 nightly. Dr. Charles E. Gray of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Winston-Salem will be the evangelist for the week.
Salem Lutheran
Salem Lutheran Church invites the community to a thank you celebration brunch this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. to honor Candis Coble.
The brunch will take place after the Salem Spirit Praise and Worship Service that begins at 8:30 a.m.
Coffee and juice will be provided; everyone is asked to bring a breakfast or brunch item to share.
Coble has served as the Salem Preschool director for almost three years. The congregation and community give thanks for her faithful service and pray for God’s blessings for her as she seeks to serve the Lord in new endeavors.
Salem Lutheran Preschool is now entering its 16th year of ministry to the children and families of the community. The preschool ministry seeks to provide a Christ-centered, safe environment for learning and growing in the faith for preschool age children.
After the brunch, the traditional service of worship will be held at 10:30 a.m.
First Calvary Baptist
First Calvary Baptist Church, the oldest African-American Baptist Church in Salisbury, will observe its 142nd anniversary Sunday, with a morning service and a fellowship dinner.
The Rev. Paul Rhinehart, senior pastor of Yadkin Grove Missionary Baptist Church, will be the guest speaker at the 11 a.m. service.
The theme, “There is room at the cross for you and for me,” will be exalted through liturgical dance and song by MAGNIFY!! and combined choirs under the direction of Mrs. Winnell Short.
The Rev. Leamon E. Brown, the 17th pastor of First Calvary, has served the church since 1978 when he became the assistant pastor. Following service as interim pastor from 1980-84, Brown was installed as pastor on July 1, 1984.
For more information call 704-633-2818.
Southern City
EAST SPENCER ó Southern City Tabernacle AME Zion Church will observe its homecoming on Sunday. The Rev. Thomas Lee will bring the message for the 11 a.m. service.
The Rev. Herbert R. Warren Jr., presiding elder of the Salisbury District, will bring the message for the 3 p.m. service. He will be accompanied by the members of New Hope AME Zion Church.
Lunch will be served at 1:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall.
The annual revival services will be held Monday through Thursday. The Rev. Dr. Calvin L. Miller, presiding elder of the Winston-Salem District and former pastor of the church, will be the speaker for the services, which will begin nightly with devotions at 7:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Ice cream supper
KANNAPOLIS ó The First Presbyterian Church in Kannapolis will host a homemade ice cream supper Sunday beginning at 6 p.m. in the church’s fellowship hall.
As part of the program, several children will report on their weeks at Camp Grier, the Presbytery’s camp in Old Fort. Also, members of the FUSION Youth Group will report on its recent attendance at the Fun-in-the-Son High School Conference on Jekyll Island, Ga.
For more information, call 704-938-4623 or visit www.FirstPresb.org.
Word of Life
The Word of Life Family Worship Center continues its annual summer revival services tonight at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m.
Pastor Bobby Chiles of Youth Crusade Evangelist Center in Greenwood, S.C. will be the guest speaker for the revival. His congregation will accompany him, and the Youth Crusade Choir, along with other visiting choirs, will provide special music.
Dr. Martha Starks is the host pastor. The church is located at 726 E. Liberty St..The public is invited. A nursery is provided.
For additional information, call 704-633-2431.
Church Women United
The Salisbury Rowan Unit of Church Women United in North Carolina will hold its third annual Human Rights Celebration Friday, from 7-8:30 p.m. at St. Luke’s Baptist Church, 410 Hawkinstown Road.
The 2008 theme for this celebration is “God’s Wisdom Honors Children” and calls for reflection on the needs of children in our community. This occasion presents an opportunity for CWU to honor two individuals in the Salisbury-Rowan area who have been active in working with and/or for children and children’s rights.
In addition to the award presentation, Montrella Davis, Ecumenical Action chair, is requesting that those attending bring school supplies to the celebration to be donated to the “Communities in Schools” organization for distribution at local schools. Suggestions for donations include: notebook paper, pencil, crayons, pens, rulers, notebooks, backpacks, children’s underwear and belts.
Mavis Moss and Sarah Byerly, Chairs of the Human Rights Celebration committee, Jean Lowery, Ecumenical Celebrations chair, and Betty Jo Hardy, vice-president of the local CWU unit, are planning this national CWU celebration. Jean Kennedy serves as the SRCWU President.
Everyone in the Salisbury-Rowan area is invited, and refreshments will be served immediately following the celebration
New Beginning
SPENCER ó The New Beginning Community Christian Church family, under the leadership of Pastor Eric Henley Sr. and First Lady Sheila Henley, will be celebrating its annual Prevailing Word Conference Aug. 3-9 in Spencer.
The theme for this conference is “I Want it All Back.”
Conference and workshop speakers are as follows: 4 p.m. Aug. 3 ó Pastor C.B. Mingo, Clarks Chapel Baptist Church, Statesville; 7:30 p.m. Aug. 4 ó Bishop Freddie Marshall, Christ Cathedral Church of Deliverance, Winston-Salem; 7:30 p.m., Aug. 5 ó Pastor Franklin Clark, First Institute Family Worship Center, Gastonia; 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6 ó Pastor Michael Ellerbee, New Beginnings Full Gospel Ministries Inc., High Point; 7:30 p.m. Aug. 7 ó Apostle Don Hughes, Impact Church, Charlotte; 7:30 p.m., Aug. 8 ó Pastor William Becton, Kingdom Purpose Worship Center, Charlotte; 7:30 p.m. Aug. 9 ó One Night of Praise with Prophet C. Sygnor, Sherman Memorial Church of God in Christ, Charlotte; 7:30 p.m., Aug. 8 ó Mark Chambers and Destiny.
Also speaking are: 6:45 p.m., Aug. 6 ó Pastor Dwight Moore, Disciples of Christ, Charlotte; 6:45 p.m. Aug. 7 ó Assistant Patrick Jones, New Zion Baptist Church of Salisbury; 6:45 p.m., Aug. 8 ó Pastor Claude Forehand, Buncombe Baptist Church, Lexington.
The theme for the workshop is “Confidence in Troubled Times” based on Romans 8:28-39
The church is located on 318 Eighth St., Spencer.
Outreach Ministries
Outreach Christian Ministries, 722 W. Horah St., where Apostle R.E.Taylor is pastor, is having a Pastor’s Aid service at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1.
The guest speaker will be Prophetess/First Lady Sandy Johnson of Restoration Temple Family Life Center in Lexington.
The public is invited to attend.
African Children’s ChoirCHARLOTTE ó The acclaimed African Children’s Choir will be giving two performances at Providence Baptist Church, 4921 Randolph Road, in Charlotte.
They will be singing Aug. 2 at 6 p.m., and on Aug. 3 at 10:30 a.m.
Many of these children have lost one or both parents to poverty and disease. The African Children’s Choir organization provides care and education for several thousand underprivileged children throughout Africa.
Admission to the concert is free. An offering will be taken.
For more information, visit www.africachildrenschoir .com.
Young Muslimahs
WINSTON-SALEM ó The Department of Women’s Affairs of the Community Mosque of Winston-Salem announces the first Dr. Maryam Funches Annual Young Muslimahs Conference, to be held 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16 in Winston-Salem.
The 8 a.m.-4 p.m. session will be held at the Hawthorne Inn and Conference Center, 420 High St., and the 4-8 p.m. session will be at Community Mosque of Winston-Salem, 1419 Waughtown St.
Conference attendees, females only, ages 12-30, will participate in workshops and discussions. There is also a fashion show and entertainment.
The registration fee is $35 and pre-registration paid by Aug. 1 is $30. The fee includes breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner.
For more information, contact Safiya Griggs, Department of Women’s Affairs, Community Mosque of Winston-Salem, 336-727-2313.
Goodpaster assigned
LAKE JUNALUSJKA ó Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster is the new bishop for the Western N.C. Conference of The United Methodist Church.
The assignment was announced Friday evening at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference meeting at Lake Junaluska, N.C. He will succeed Bishop J. Lawrence McCleskey who retires Aug. 31.
Elected to the Episcopacy in 2000, Goodpaster has served for the past eight years as the Episcopal leader of the Alabama-West Florida Conference. Prior to his election, he served as a pastor and district superintendent in the Mississippi Conference. His pastoral experience includes a five-church rural charge, a new congregation and several larger membership churches.
He has taught in a variety of settings and published in various denominational publications. His latest book, “There’s Power in the Connection: Building a Network of Dynamic Congregations” was published earlier this year by Abingdon Press.
In April, Goodpaster was elected to a two-year term as president of The United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops, which includes United Methodist bishops from around the world. He will take office in 2010. These duties are in addition to those as Episcopal leader of the Western N.C. Conference.
Goodpaster, 60, earned a bachelor of arts degree from Millsaps College, Jackson, Miss., and master of divinity and doctor of ministry degrees from Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, Ga. He received honorary degrees (doctor of divinty) from Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, Ala., and Huntingdon College, Montgomery, Ala. He is married to the former Deborah Cox. They have two daughters and two grandchildren.